Notes

By Anne Bourret, Saul Chernos | 1990-10-01 12:00:00

Ontario

GET READY FOR THE ONTARIO Peace Conference in Hamiton in November. An exact date has not yet been set, but contact (416) 960-2228 for details.

A series of Freedom for Nitassinan Walks planned by the Alliance for Non-Violent Action in support of the Innu's struggle against low-level flights testing and training is now underway. Walks from Halifax and Nitassinan have already left, a walk from Windsor will be leaving on Sept. 24 and all walks will converge on Ottawa Nov.10 for a rally. A series of Innu Solidarity resistance actions will begin in Ottawa Nov. 13. For information, contact (416) 533-9507, (416) 461-2274 or (514) 525-0765.
Ontario Hydro's plans to build at leastlO new nuclear reactors continues to be a big issue. Details weren't in from a Sept. 1 protest in Toronto, but a conference has been set for the weekend of Nov. 3 and 4 in Espanola. Contact Durham Nuclear Awareness at (416) 725-1565.
Speaking of nuclear power, Durham Nuclear Awareness now has a fellow group in Bruce County. After about a year of organizing, Bruce Nuclear Awareness is about 100 members strong.
When there's nuclear power and bombs-there's bound to be nuclear waste. Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. is considering dumping waste into the Canadian Shield using virtually nothing in the way of shielding. In Toronto, activists brought their own information to an open house held by a federal assessment panel. For more information about all things nuclear, call Durham Nuclear Awareness.
ACT for Disarmament held its 1990 national conference in Toronto Aug. 24 to 26. Resolutions included new policies on Intervention, First Nation Sovereignty and the Helsinki Citizen's Assembly. A Nagasaki candle light vigil attracted about 150 people. The group's 100,000 signature campaign to stop the low-level flights over Nitassinan continues to gather steam.
THE TORONTO Disarmament Network and Oreenpeace continue to prepare for the TDN's annual Peace Walk, October 20. The theme is environmental this year: No Time To Waste. Preparations have included weekly "Survival Tuesdays" and a large benefit.
The eighth annual Orillia Arts for Peace Festival at the Stephen leacock home grounds in Orillia attracted more than 300 peaceniks-down a slight bit from last year but a sunny success nonetheless. Performers included the Whole Loaf Theatre, Ruckus in the Rainforest and folk musician Paul Kane. Local peace and environmental groups had displays. Start planning for the ninth annual festival, expected to be held the first Saturday in July.
Peace groups are currently being asked to submit information on campaigns currently being conducted or other newsworthy topics. Send to address below.

Saul Chernos, P.O. Box 611, Oriltia Ont. L3V 6K5 705/327-7809

Québec

Un Pays Sans Armee

Option Paix, the Quebec Peace and Disarmament magazine, will launch the campaign Un Pays Sans Armee (A Land Without an Army) for the 1990 October Disarmament Week. The campaign aims to reduce the Deptartmenl of National Defence's (DND) budget; "convert" DND's budget; and ultimately eliminate the army.

The objectives may appear very ambitious but the campaign has already the support of several groups in Quebec: Friends of the Earth, health Professionals for Social Responsibility, and Artists for Peace, to name but a few.

According to Jean Yelle of Option Paix's steering commitee, A Land Without an Army could become the position of the Quebec Peace movement on defence policy for a sovereign Quebec.

Ironically, the call for the unilateral disarmament of Quebec comes at a time when the Canadian Armed Forces have never been so popular-the result of their role in, defusing the Oka Mohawk Warriors Society crisis without further bloodshed. Curiously, the steering committee seeks to "disarm" Quebec while defending the rights of the Warriors to advance their cause with semi-automatic weapons and other artillery.

Annie Bourret, Groupe de Recherche sur La Paix, Laval University.