ZPRAVY CSSK
Dopis kanadske guvernerce
The Right Hon. Adrienne Clarkson
March 31, 2002
May we offer, on behalf of our members and - we believe - on behalf
of all members of the Czech and Slovak community in Canada, our
condolences at the passing of a queen who served her nation with
distinction possibly longer than any monarch in history; with
distinction and charm which likely owed more than a little to
human frailties which she never attempted to hide.
Those of us who during the Second World War lived in Czechoslovakia
(and, of course, people all around the world) still remember the
BBC reports (to listen to them was punishable by death) exalting
in the young royal couple refusing to leave London, even after
six bombs were dropped on Buckingham palace, and visiting the
sites, particularly in the East End, that have been heavily bombed.
She was paid in the context of the times the highest
compliment when Adolf Hitler called her "the most dangerous
woman in Europe." We are grateful and proud that among those
who engaged in the mortal combat for the supremacy in the skies
over her England, among those "few to whom so many owed so
much", were also our compatriots.
The world is poorer and darker without the Queen Mother.
Czech and Slovak Association of Canada
Blanca Rohn - Immediate Past President, Josef Cermak - President,
Radmila Locher-Secretary General
***
Vynatky z dopisu Josefa Dobrovolneho ministru
obcanstvi a imigrace Hon. Denis Coderremu
Dear Mr. Coderre,
I am contacting you on the recommendation of my MP, Mr. Reg Alcock.
I am looking for common sense and correction in the Canadian government
process related to visitor visas. My wife and I have experienced
a horrific, nonsensical, time consuming, expensive, and emotionally
exhausting process to convince your visa officer that a son from
Czech Republic may VISIT his mother in Canada.
The process took place over 3 months and consisted of numerous
phone calls to Government officials and about 40 e-mail exchanges,
all of which I can provide. The emails from a perfect audit trail
of the problem: It took months of frantic phone calls, document
gathering, faxes and e-mails representing untold hours of needless
work of many people. It caused personal anxiety and family stress.
It damaged the reputation of Canada as a country. It cost an estimated
$450 in expenses and needed at least 2 interventions of my MP.
The e-mails show how persistently the officials of the Citizenship
and Immigration Department disregard the blatant inconsistencies
and the contradictory outcomes of the "proper process"
they claim to follow. They show how even a member of Parliament
cannot get a straight answer in a reasonable timeframe on behalf
of his constituent.
.Josef Dobrovolny pak klade ministru deset otazek a pokracuje:
Mr. Coderre, I find myself comparing the former communist Czechoslovakia
visa application system to Canada's system today. My relatives
had to apply for an "exit" visitor visa then. I use
the same "invitation letter" addressed to Canadian Embassy
that I used to send to my brother and parents for presentation
to the Czechoslovak police. The communist regime at that time
was trying to make sure that the visitors return. Now it is Canada's
turn to make sure that the vistors return.
Josef Dobrovolny svuj dopis uzavira:
Having volunteered for the Immigration Department Refugee Settlement
Program for many years I am familiar with the immigration issues
and I am willing to meet with you or your designate in order to
assist in the improved procedure design. I am looking forward
to your response.
Dopis je datovan 26. brezna 2002
***
Kancelar Sdruzeni poslala ministru Coderrovi
dopis nasledujiciho zneni:
The Honourable Denis Coderre
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Dear Mr. Coderre,
Thank you very much for your letter of March 22, 2002. Since writing
to you, we received a copy of a letter written to you by our member
Josef Dobrovolny of Vermette, Manitoba, respecting a visa problem
for his wife's son living in the Czech Republic. As you would
have seen from his letter, Mr. Dobrovolny can speak for himself.
We just simply wish to state that Mr. Dobrovolny is well respected
in our community and is known for his volunteer work. We believe
that his comments deserve attention.
Yours very truly,
Czech and Slovak Association of Canada
Josef Cermak
President
***
Za Rudolfem Gelnarem
2. dubna 2002 v Torontu zemrel ucitel Rudolf Gelnar, rodak z Polanky
na Morave. Do Kanady prisel nekdy v 68. roce, nejaky cas pracoval
na draze, ale dlouhe roky zil na invalidnim pojisteni. Zil dost
samotarsky, jaksi na okraji krajanske komunity. Sam jsem se s
nim setkal jen nekolikrat. Pred mnoha lety mel pravni problem,
jehoz podstatu jsem uz zapomnel. Pred tremi mesici se u mne zastavil
v kancelari sdruzeni, abych mu potvrdil podpis. A je to jen par
tydnu, co se o nem u nemocnicni postele Milusky Perinove zminila
Vlasta Waldaufova (zda se, ze nemocnicni postele a pohrebni ustavy
jsou oblibena mista pro setkani prislusniku me generace). Sel
jsem ho navstivit a trochu jsme si popovidali. Kdyz jsem prisel
o tyden pozdeji, na okamzik mne sice poznal, ale pak se ztratil
nekam, kam jsem ho nemohl nasledovat. Mel zrejme velke bolesti.
Byl to tichy a pokorny clovek, jeden z tech, k nimz osud nebyl
nejstedrejsi. S exilem se potykal tezce, prochazel dusevnimi krizemi
a skoro zazracne alespon jak ja ho znal nezatrpkl.
Nenakupil bohatstvi, nezaznamenal uspechy, o nichz by se hovorilo
a psalo. A prece, kdo vi, jake hodnoty v duchovnim vesmiru svym
pobytem na teto zemi nevykoupil? Kdo muze vazit cenu jeho zivota
a konec koncu cenu kterehokoliv zivota? Kdo vi, zda v konecnem
hodnoceni zivotu ten jeho neprevazi daleko slavnejsi a uspesnejsi
zivoty nez jakym se zdal byt jeho.
Jeho popel se vraci do zeme, ze ktere prisel. Necht v ni najde
laskavy domov.
Zpravy CSSK pripravil Josef Cermak
Doslo: 12.4.2002 v 17:54
***
Winnipeg hosti 53. kongres CSSK
Letosni 53. kongres Sdruzeni je organizovan winnipegskou odbockou,
ktera pripravila bohaty program.
PATEK, 24. kvetna: ti, kteri prijedou brzy odpoledne, si mohou
prohlednout unikatni sbirky slovanske literatury na University
of Manitoba s odbornym pruvodcem. Vecer, od 18.00 do 23:00 setkani
ucastniku s winnipegskymi krajany s "bohatym obcerstvenim"
v ceskem Klubu Jednoty, 154 McKenzie Street
SOBOTA, 25.kvetna: formalni zasedani kongresu, St. Andrews College,
29 Dysart Rd. Winnipeg (snidane a obed zajisteny na miste "za
velmi rozumne ceny"). Vecer banket s hudbou - 18.00 koktejly,
19:00 banket s veceri (cena 35 dolaru). Po veceri budou udeleny
Masarykovy ceny. Holiday Inn Winnipeg South, 1330 Pembina Highway.
NEDELE, 26. kvetna: 9:00 zasedani kongresu, St. Andrews College
(snidane a obed zajisteny na miste jednani); odpoledne prohlidka
Winnipegu, vecer opekani burtu na farme bratra Dobrovolneho. Prosime
zajemce, aby se prihlasili predem u sestry Evy Sailerove e-mailova
adresa: esailer@shaw.ca nebo na adrese Sdruzeni 740 Spadina Ave.,
Toronto, ON M5S 2J2 tel. c. 416 925-2241, fax 416 925 1940, e-mail
csskho@interlog.com
Organizovani kongresu je velika drina. Dekujeme winnipegskym a
prejeme jim, aby vsecko vyslo, jak si predstavuji.
***