Inquiry Shows ‘Grave Peril’ For Canada

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30686, 27 February 1965, Page 16

Inquiry Shows ‘Grave Peril’ For Canada

(N Z.P.A.- Reuter— Copyright)

OTTAWA, February 26. Canada is in grave peril of breaking up unless major changes take place urgently in public institutions and attitudes, a royal commission said in its 85,000-word preliminary report tabled in the House of Commons by the Prime Minister, Mr Lester Pearson.

The commission said it had found a deep gulf between Englishspeaking and Frenchspeaking Canadians, deeper than most people realised.

The report stressed three basic conclusions:

There was a large, dynamic and distinct French-speak-ing society within Canada, strongly dissatisfied with present conditions. Wide-ranging negotiations must be initiated between the federal and provin-

cial governments to work out a truly equal partnership between the English and French-speaking societies. All Canadians must overcome the “myths, prejudices and ignorance separating them and put the development of Canada above all else."

The 10-member commission said Canada’s continued existence was in peril because the French-Canadians of Quebec no longer accepted the status of an ethnic minority.

They wanted to be recognlse'd officially as “practically an autonomous society.” “Quiet Revolution” “Ail that we have seen and heard has led us to the conviction that Canada is in the most critical period of its history since confederation,” the report said. “We believe that there is a crisis, in the sense that Canada has come to a time when decisions must be taken and developments must occur leading either to its breakup, or to a new set of conditions for its future existence.”

Quebec’s “quiet revolution” was not motivated by anti-English feeling, it said. Rather it was fed by a widespread desire by FrenchCanadians to assume more control over their political, economic and cultural destinies.

At the same time, most English-speaking Canadians were indifferent to or unaware of the crisis centring on Quebec. “All 10 of us are convinced that in the present situation there is a grave danger for the future of Canada and of all Canadians,” the royal commission said. Commission’s View

“There are those who feel that the problems will lessen and go away with time. “This is possible, but in our view, it is more probable that unless there are major changes the situation will worsen with time, and that it could worsen much more quickly than many think.”

The commission said it would recommend concrete “adjustments and accommodations” in its final report, which is not expected until 1967.

The bulk of the preliminary report summarises and

analyses views submitted to the commission in the first 18 months of the massive inquiry.

All Bilingual

All 10 commission members speak both French and English. It has two chairman, Mr Andre Laurendeau, editor-in-chief of the Montreal “Le Devoir” and Mr Davidson Dunton, president of Carleton University, Ottawa. Other members are: The Rev. Clement Cormier, president of St. Joseph’s University, Moncton; Mr Royce Frith, a Toronto lawyer and television personality; Mr Jean-Louis Gagnon, a Montreal broadcaster; Mr Jean Marchand, a Montreal labour leader; Mrs Gertrude Laing, a Calgary housewife; Professor Jaroslav Rudnyckyj, University of Manitoba; Mr Frank Scott, a Montreal constitutional lawyer; and Professor Paul Wyczynski, University of Ottawa.