WTF: The rest of the week in news

Last night’s free game at the Bell Centre. Photo by Sean Fowlkes

Sooo… “Notre Home,” huh? The soaring beat, the young people going for nature walks, the quirky franglais and “je me souviens” references — why, it’s enough inspiration to make us want to puke. Particularly all those nice, warm-looking summer shots in the video. Like, are you trying to torture us? And why’d Quebec Community Groups Network release it in the dead of winter, anyway?

Oh, wait, they didn’t.

What’s new is that the people who sing this hokey piece o’ crap are going on a tour of Quebec schools now, after the Quebec government gave them $20,000 in support, or so it was jointly announced by the QCGN and Lisée yesterday.

Lisée said the song helps spread a message of inclusion for anglophones, who’ve recently been feeling targeted by the Parti Québécois anti-anglo proposals, particularly in the realms of health care and education. We’ve got a suggestion or two on how to make anglos really feel included, and none of them involve superficial (and hypocritical!) attempts at provincial unity and pride (and only one of them involves throat-punching).

Speaking of throat-punching, the NHL is back. Yesterday thousands of forgiving fans lined up in freezing temperatures outside the Bell Centre to watch a free, non-official red vs. white game in which attendees were handsomely rewarded with a hot dog, chips and a soft drink on the house. Hey, don’t laugh! That kind of combo costs at least $20 during the regular season. Thanks for always lookin’ after us peasants, Bell Centre!

In other bilingualism news, our province language watchdog is forcing the town of Ste-Agathe to put an official end to the old dual-tongue regime, which means it will stop sending those municipal info mailings (which anglo and franco residents surely await with bated breath) in English.

What, we ask, does this mean for the “Notre Home” tour? Will the Ste-Agathe town brass allow local teens to be deprived of the right to hear the iconic, moving song performed live?

If so, we figure this guy, the author of another anthem, is available. Yo, what up, Québec?! ■