ACTION BEGINS ON MASS LOBBY OF PARLIAMENT sesso

By CLAIRE DaSYLVA

MONTREAL — Simultaneously with Toronto and Edmonton, the
Quebec Co-ordinating Committee of the Peace Petition Caravan Cam-
paign officially launched the campaign with a ‘press. conference on
March 15 in Montreal. Some fifteen organizations, speaking in the

name of about 800,000 Quebeckers have already answered the appeal
of the Quebec committee of the all-Canadian campaign and most were
at the press conference, including Alain Pryde of the Canadian Labor
Congress (CLC) which actively supports the Caravan. Among those
present were a strong delegation of the three trade union centres,
Quebec. Federation of Labor (QFL), Confederation of National Trade
Unions (CNTU), the Teachers’ Federation (CEQ) and a number of
churches. 5 :

“There is an emergency’’, said the statement of the committee
speaking of the recent testing of the Cruise missile in Canada ‘‘to please
the United States’’, among other issues. :

Most of the representatives who spoke at the press conference
underlined the already broad character of the Quebec committee, of
the fact that across Canada there was unity among the peace movement
and many other groups, which will make the campaign much more
effective. Speaking about that, Ferhand Daoist, general-secretary of
the QFL recalled the long peaceful tradition of the Quebeckers.

In its press statement, the QFL, whose office is being used by the
Quebec Caravan committee, said: :

**Simultaneously with our brothers in English Canada, who at this
very moment in Toronto, are officially launching the Peace Petition
Caravan, we call upon all our members in Quebec and invite them to
sign and to circulate this petition, to make their voice heard in order to
stop the stepping up of the arms race’’.

Speaking also of the peaceful tradition of the Quebeckers and of the
advantages of an all-Canadian campaign, Gilles Rhéaume of the Saint-
Jean Baptiste Society of Montreal (a nationalist organization) said that
his group will present a resolution at the National Assembly in favor of
making Quebec a Nuclear Weapons-Free Zone. —

*“What is the use, in the schools, the colleges and in the universities,
to prepare tomorrow’s generations if the planet risks disappearing at
any moment because of a nuclear war?’’, asked Yvon Charbonneau of
the CEQ. The centre will continue to develop peace education among
its 85,000 affiliated teachers and among the students. The CEQ will also
intervene with the National Assembly in favor of a NWFZ Quebec.

In a message read by Pierre Laporte of the World Conference of
Religions for Peace (WCRP) which supports the campaign, Mgr.
Adolphe Proulx, bishop of Hull, ‘‘urged that all religions consider as a
top priority the building of peace’’, adding that the Peace Caravan is a
good way to make the public conscious. Laporte was accompanied by
Sister Leyla Raphaél who was chairperson at the press conference.
Rev. Donald Pipe of the United Church made similar points while
bringing the support of his Church to the Peace Caravan.

“We have already protested to stop the Cruise missile testing . .. We
have also asked to workers to declare their shop, their office, their
mine, their construction site, their public building a ‘‘nuclear
weapons-free zone’’, said Gérald Larose, president- of the Con-
federation of National Trade Unions.

Michel Lecompte, member of the executive of the University Stu-
dents’ Associations (RAEU), said that after having participating in the
Grand March for peace last October, his organization did not hesitate
to support the Caravan campaign since it was about the same groups
that worked in it. The RAEU will invite its 50,000 student members to
sign and circulate the petition.

Minister Claude DeMestral brought the support of the Quebec Pen-
sioners Defence Association (AQDR) with a petition signed by the
members of its executive.

The artists are an excellent vehicle among the public said Serge
Demers bringing the support of the Artists’ Union (QFL).

Celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, the Quebec Peace Coun-
cil brought its petition for a NWFZ Quebec and Canada signed by
13,000 persons. The president of the QPC, Edouard Sloan, explained it
was the first contribution of his group to the Peace Caravan. :

‘‘Before the white men came there were no nuclear bombs’’, said
Armand Collar, an Inuit from Labrador, bringing the support of the
INNU Association to the Caravan. Other speakers took advantage of
the press conference to bring the support of their organization to the
Peace Caravan: Albert Saint-Laurent for the Federation of Parents
Committees, Kostas Georgoulis for the Greek Labor Association,
Madeleine Lecler for the Corporation of Social Workers, Michael
Monolson for Greenpeace, Mike Mollen for the Canadian Coalition for
Nuclear Responsibility. Other organizations supporting the Caravan
are the National Association of Quebec Students (ANFQ), la Ligue des
Femmes du Québec, Chilean Committee for Human Rights and many

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Aim to reach all Quebeckers

At the launching of the Peace Petition Caravan Campaign in Montreal are from left to right: Serge Demers:
Yvon Charboneau, Gilles Rheaume, Fernand Daoust, and Gerald Larose.

Toronto mayor launches campaign

TORONTO — The Peace Peti-
tion Caravan Campaign got off to
a flying start at a City Hall press
conference in Canada’s. largest
city in what organizers termed the
central kickoff ceremony.

The occasion in mid March was
marked by an address in support
by Mayor Art Eggleton, who saw
it as the kind of action that is in
step with Canadian desires for a
Canada free of nuclear arms and a
peaceful world.

Regina support

REGINA — City Council held
a discussion on the Peace Petition
Caravan Campaign last week and
voted 6 to 3 to support the aims of
the petition and to inform local
Members of Parliament of its
position. The resolution was pre-
sented by Alderman Joe
McKeown and supported by
aldermen Hanley, Staff,
McGregor, Kleisinger and Van
Mulligen. Opposed were alder-
men Ooms, Strass and Sholod.

The Tribune will carry a list of
organizations supporting the
Campaign in Saskatchewan to as-
sist, reader, particularly in rural
areas.

Dennis McDermott, president’ cluded: Metro Toronto Labof
of the Canadian Labor Congress, ‘Council; International Women s
for which the PPCC is the major Day Committee; Senior Citizens
campaign to date on the issue of of Ontario; and the Unite
peace and disarmament, gave the Church. All signed an enlarge
campaign an enthusiastic send-off copy of the petition.
with the CLC’s full backing. The notable alliance of the

Others who spoke were Gui peace movement and the labot
Adam, representing the Quebec movement in the Caravan Cam-
Federation of Labor; Bob Pen--paign, and its non-partisal
ner, a spokesman for the PPCC’s_ character, were greeted as evi
central campaign headquarters; dence that a broad representation
and Sister Rosalie Bertell of the of Canadians embrace the aims
Jesuit Centre for Faith and Social the Petition itself. Some 50 people.
Justice. Organization present in were present to watch the pro
solidarity with the Caravan in- ceedings.

Edmonton backed by labor

: By TIM FIRTH

EDMONTON — This city’s Peace Petition Caravan Campaign was
kicked off with a meeting of about 10 local peace group representative>
and a press conference in mid-March. Among the representatives wel®
the Alberta Federation of Labor, the Canadian Labor Congress, aM
the local labor council. (At the press conference Dave Werlin, pres!
dent of the Alberta Federation of Labor, signed the petition along wit
Grant Notley, provincial leader of the New Democratic Party, prom
inent local churchmen and several others).

Phone numbers for the overall co-ordinators are: Frank Brab —
424-3254; Robin Denton — 483-5373.

The PPCC will soon have a permanent office in the Learner Centre-
For the time being, mail can be directed to the Campaign, c/o the
Learner Centre, 10765-98 street T5H 2P2. :

—

—~( Sign up for peace a4

The Peace Petition Caravan Campaign will be

reject research, production, testing and trans-

other peace groups.

Quebec vote

QUEBEC CITY — On March
20 the National Assembly of
Quebec agreed, without a vote, to
the approval of a private mem-
ber’s resolution presented by
MNA Guy Bissaillon that the As-
sembly endorse the Peace Peti-
tion Caravan Campaign.

Speaking in the name of the
committee as the co-ordinator,
Prof. André Jacob announced
that the campaign will be
launched also in other regions of

Quebec including Chicoutimi ~

near the military base of Bagot-
ville where nuclear arms are
stocked.

For further information on the
campaign in Quebec, contact the
committee at 2100, Papineau
Street, Montreal H2K 4J4. Tele-
phone: 527-8533.

6 e PACIFIC TRIBUNE, APRIL 11, 1984

ae

brought to Canadians in a door-to-door canvass.
Every city will collect the petitions as relays of
buses starting from Newfoundland on the East
coast and Victoria in the West, pick up the signa-
tures on their way to Ottawa. A major rally will be
held in the capital at the beginning of Dis-
armament Week, Oct. 20 to coincide with the
arrival of the buses. Simultaneous demonstra-
tions will be held in centres across the country to

“mark the presentation of the signatures to

Parliament.

.The four demands of the Petition are: z
e that the Parliament of Canada act to refuse the
testing of the Cruise missile in Canada and to

port of any nuclear weapons, their delivery sys-
tems or components in Canada.

e that Canada be declared a Nuclear Weapons
Free Zone in accord with similar initiatives by
other nations and become actively involved in
working for the multilateral de-escalation of the
arms race.

e we further ask that wasteful spending on the
arms race be diverted to find human needs so as
to ensure prosperity through peace.

e The above-stated objectives be subjected to
ratification through a ‘free vote” in the Parlia-

ment of Canada. 2