The record, 4 février 1981, mercredi 4 février 1981

«gsTK Royal Trust •'Tel.: (819) 569-9371^' Weather, Page 2 Sherbrooke, Wednesday, February 4,1981 25 cents Townshippers brief: Protect minorities more By CHARLES BURY SHERBROOKE — Three directors of the Townshippers Association will appear today before a committee of the Quebec national assembly studying the federal government's proposals for constitutional reform.Association president James Ross and directors Jacqueline Kouri and Royal Orr will present a brief to “La commission de la présidence du conseil et de la constitution”, mandated by the provincial cabinet to look into Quebecers’ opinions on the controversial Trudeau patriation package.The Record has obtained a copy of the untitled brief, which explains the little-known plight of the English-speaking minority in the Eastern Townships and suggests six specific modifications to the federal plan.The brief points out that some 45,000 of the Eastern Townships' 500,000 population are English-speaking and many are descended from the region’s original settlers.The association’s 6,000 members make it “one of the few organizations in Quebec that represents the beliefs and aspirations of nonmetropolitan English-speaking Quebecers ” Townshippers say the British North America Act and its amendments “do not appear to adequately meet the needs of contemporary Canadian society”.They add that the new constitution must “recognize and guarantee fundamental civil rights of English-speaking and French-speaking minorities throughout Canada Individual rights, they say, must include not only the fundamental freedom of legal and democratic rights.Challenge headed for SCOC WINNIPEG (CP) - The Supreme Court of Canada will be asked to rule on the legality of the federal government’s constitutional package, the attorneys-general of Manitoba and Alberta indicated Tuesday.Their comments came just after a ruling by the Manitoba Court of Appeal that Ottawa does not need provincial consent to patriate and amend the British North America Act.In a 3-to-2 decision, the court rejected claims by the Manitoba government — supported by five other provinces and an Indian association — that Ottawa is overstepping its authority.Inside DIGGIT Fairmont Granite in Beebe held a brief sodturning ceremony yesterday to announce an expansion which will double their output Charles Bury reports on Page 3 EDUCATION BEAT Bishop's and Champlain have signed a new rental agreement for the Lennoxville campus Camille Laurin has announced a few changes in the student loans policies Anthony Ross reports on Page 3 BIRTHS, DEATHS .2 BUSINESS.5 CLASSIFIED .10 COMICS.11 EDITORIAL.4 LIVING.6 SPORTS.13 Why can't we slow down inflation by putting the post office in charge of it?Manitoba Attorney-General Gerry Mercier said the decision came as no surprise and is just one step on the road to the supreme court.Alberta Attorney-General Neil Crawford said the province definitely will appeal the decision to the supreme court.Prime Minister Trudeau says a senior British cabinet minister assured him in December that the British government would disregard provincial opposition when it dealt with the Canadian constitutional resolution.He made it clear in the Commons on Tuesday, as he was again hounded by Progressive Conservatives, that if the views of Britain’s Conservative government have changed, they can “speak for themselves.” British Tories do not need their Canadian cousins to do it for them, he said.His statements came when Tories pressed him for more details of his Dec.19 meeting with Sir Francis Pym, then British defence minister and now Tory House leader at Westminster.Opposition questions, based on a leaked report of the discussions in Ottawa, suggested that Pym voiced British fears about passing a constitutional resolution opposed by most provinces.SAY NOT WARNED Tories said they don’t believe the British were warned of the extent of Trudeau’s package, including a charter of rights binding on the provinces.Trudeau challenged his Tory critics to table the document, saying the complete record would reveal Pym’s assurance, but they declined The opposition countered by demanding that Trudeau table a letter British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is said to have written last December reaffirming her commitment to deal speedily with the constitutional package.External Affairs Minister Mark MacGuigan refused, saying it is up to Thatcher to release it, and he refused to seek British permission to make it public.The British have said they are unaware of the letter.In Quebec City meanwhile, Leon Dion, a Laval University political scientist, said Trudeau’s plans may lead to violence and national disintegration.He told the national assembly’s constitutional committee that unilateral patriation of the constitution is "antidemocratic and illegal” and described Trudeau as a rigid intellectual who feels he is the only Canadian capable of solving the country’s constitutional problems.Dion said he will cling to that view “even if the splitting apart of the country, which he is sincerely trying to save, must follow.” •‘If Prince Charles phones, tell him I'll call back." • but also the right to work, take up residence, invest savings, sell products and purchase supplies anywhere in Canada.” The association accuses the federal proposals of not going far enough to protect individual and minority rights.It recommends that in any criminal or penal proceedings, the accused have a right to trial in English or French, or for native people, their usual language.It suggests Ontario become officially bilingual along with New Brunswick.Quebec and Manitoba.It urges the provision of provincial and municipal services in both English and French, and asks that English and French-speaking Canadians and natives “have the right to receive health, social and judicial services in their own language wherever numbers so warrant.” The association points out that enrolment in Protestant schools has declined at twice the rate of the Roman Catholic system at the secondary level, and more than three times the rate in the elementary schools.It therefore suggests that all children be entitled to pre-university studies in either English Cookshire's Mary Heatherington We're made to move’ By PATRICIA TRACY COOKSHIRE — For the last 82 years of her life, The Record’s Cookshire cor respondent Mrs.Mary Heatherington has lived by her many philosophies of life.“We weren’t made to sit still,” she says.“We were made to move.” And move she does.She juggles her time between playing organ for two different churches every Sunday, acting as secretary for various church groups and the local historical society and teaching piano and organ to children from the community.And, as if her duties as a correspondent aren't enough to keep her busy, she paints and hooks rugs in her spare time.As The Record’s Cookshire connection, for “at least 30 years”, Mrs.Heatherington spends the bulk of her time on the telephone, getting social notes and attending various local meetings.Pleasing everyone in a small town i