Photo: Charly Gallo/ Direction de la Communication
The Prince Pierre de Monaco Foundation has just launched its Reading Marathon organised within the framework of the Prix Littéraires, which will allow contemporary literature lovers to better understand the authors selected by the Literary Council for the 2017 selections of the Literary Prize and the Discovery Scholarship.
At its meeting on May 10, the Literary Council selected Annie Ernaux, Maurizio Serra, and Michel Tremblay for the Prix Littéraire.
Also selected for the Discovery Scholarship – the Bourse de la Découverte – awarded to a Francophone author for a first fiction book: Pierre Adrian’s Simple Souls (Ecuador; 2017); Cédric Gras’, Anthracite (Stock; 2016); Owned by Frédéric Gros (Albin Michel; 2016); Nehémy Pierre-Dahomey’ Returnees (Seuil; 2017); and Blandine Rinkel, Abandonment of pretensions (Fayard; 2017).
Each of these titles is available in Monaco and Côte d’Azur libraries that are participating in the Reading Marathon between June 21 and September 1.
Students of a fourth and fifth grade class at Charles III College will also take part in the Marathon, under the guidance of their literature teachers.
The Prince Pierre Foundation Awards will be announced on Thursday, October 5.
Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation is being celebrated this year. We continue our Q&A series on Monaco’s Canadian community with Father Walter Raymond, Chaplain at Saint-Paul’s Monte-Carlo, who will be retiring in July
Father Walter with Sparky
ML: You were born in Sacramento, California. How and where did you end up in Canada? WR: I moved to Canada in 1969, with a group friends who, like me, loved the great outdoors. We settled in the far north of British Columbia. We found a spot on the map, Germansen Landing, on the Omineca River where we built a log house, about as far away from civilisation as was possible then. It was beautiful there, I loved the life of wood fires and snowshoe transportation, but after three years I moved away to find work in the big city, Vancouver.
ML: Why did you make the decision to become a Canadian citizen? WR: I felt really at home in Canada from the very beginning and quickly grew to love the country. In 1975, I crossed the country on a 10-speed Peugeot bicycle and ended up settling in Quebec City where I worked to learn French, eventually completing my undergraduate degree at Université Laval. As soon as it was legally possible, I applied for Canadian citizenship, which, at the time, involved a short meeting with a Canadian Citizenship Judge who asked me a few questions like, “Can you name the Prime Minster of Canada?” The answer was easy, Pierre Trudeau was then in his third of four terms at the helm of the nation.
ML: Do you consider yourself Canadian or American? WR: Well, I am American by birth. My family is well rooted in the country. However, that said, I really do consider myself first and foremost a Canadian. I hold both passports, but I almost always travel as a Canadian. My social base and my political sympathies are planted firmly on Canadian soil, and I look forward to going home to Canada when I retire, this coming summer.
ML: You were brought up Catholic and attended Mass until age 18. How did you become involved in the Anglican Church? WR: Like many in my generation, I walked away from the Church I had known as a child and stayed away for many years. It wasn’t until I was in my mid-thirties that I felt the need to re-establish my links to the Church. Thanks to a friend, I discovered the Anglican tradition. I loved the focus on Scripture and the progressive outlook of Anglicanism, but it was the music and ceremony at the church I attended that really won me over. The congregational singing, from the rich Anglican hymnbook, was unlike anything I’d ever experienced in the Catholic tradition.
ML: You arrived at Saint Paul’s Monte-Carlo in 2008. How did you hear about this position, and what were the challenges when you arrived? WR: A former classmate of mine in Toronto had taken a posting in the Algarve, and thanks to him, I learned about the opening in Monte-Carlo. When I arrived in January 2008, I found a faithful and hospitable community and church members who went out of their way to make me feel welcome and at home. There certainly were challenges, the Chaplain or Vicar has a somewhat formal relationship with the community. I am always a bit surprised when people apologise for a swear word or for not attending church. Leaving my network of friends behind in Canada was harder than I expected, and building new friendships here took time, but in due course these and other challenges faded and I came to enjoy very positive and constructive relationships in my life and work in Monaco. I am particularly grateful for dedication and generosity of the lay leaders of our church who make my job so much easier.
ML: Nearly a decade on, tell us about Saint Paul’s congregation and events (and elevator!)? WR: Saint Paul’s has a well-merited reputation as a welcoming and happy place. Children are always at home at Saint Paul’s and we have an active Sunday Club with a delightful and loving new Sunday Club teacher, Mirella Favory. The annual Blessing of the Animals is one of our most popular celebrations, and dogs are regular members of our Sunday congregation.
We’re gearing up now for our annual Shrove Tuesday Pancake Dinner (February 28 from 6-8 pm), organised by the Sunday Club families with donations going to support Emily and Ben Rolfe in their project to run the “Marathon des Sables” raising money for diabetes research. We have a new Charitable Donations Committee that oversees the collection and distribution of donations for charity outside of Saint Paul’s averaging something close to €100,000 in any given year from our community.
In 2014, thanks to a motion from Mrs Helen Tugman at our annual meeting, the church council focused efforts on installing a lift (elevator) to make access to our parish hall and library easier for seniors and the disabled. The funding is pretty much in place and the project is advancing slowly but steadily with the new lift ready for service by Christmas this year.
We have a strong music tradition at Saint Paul’s, thanks to the leadership of Gottfried Kappen, our organist, Patricia Cerrone, choir secretary, and Drew Hopkins, lead chorister. Our Lay Readers (lay ministers), Mary de Vachon and Frank Megginson, make a huge contribution to the quality of ministry at Saint Paul’s, particularly in the preaching ministry on Sunday mornings.
Saint Paul’s really seems to be thriving, and largely because of this, I decided in October 2016 that the timing is right for me to accept the inevitable, to retire and make way for the next generation of ordained leadership at Saint Paul’s Church.
ML: Would you say spirituality has in place in Monaco? WR: Of course, it does! Human beings are spiritual creatures. We all need some sense of a spiritual dimension that reaches beyond the glitter and bling. For instance, there’s a strong branch of Alcoholics Anonymous in Monaco, there are meetings at Saint Paul’s, and the success of this powerful programme is based on belief in a higher power, one that can get us through even the toughest challenges of life. Indeed, it is always very moving for me to note the sense of spiritual fulfilment and blessing our people seem to draw from Sunday worship. But spirituality is not an end in itself. We sometimes talk about the down-and-out church, Divine Grace comes down from on high, and it is up to us to channel this out in loving care for our families, our community and our world.
ML: What do you appreciate about Monaco? WR: Monaco really is a great place to live! At the top of the list, I’d have to put Prince Albert and his family. I became convinced about the value of monarchy when I moved to Canada in 1969, and the Prince and his family here set a truly noble standard in their commitment to the Principality, its people, and the issues confronting our world. I also appreciate the quality of ecumenical relations here. I am honoured to count Archbishop Bernard Barsi and many members of the ecumenical community as friends.
There’s a lot to do here: I’ve become a big fan of local sports and, along with friends, hold season tickets for AS Monaco FC and ASM Roca Basketball. The annual ATP 1000 tennis tournament is my favourite time of the year, and I love the Grand Prix. Cultural life is also very rich: opera, symphony, and ballet in Monaco are of world class quality and remarkably affordable. Best of all, the sea, the coastline, the mountains – and the weather! – all work to make Monaco a wonderful place for actively enjoying the great outdoors.
ML: Do you socialise with other Canadians in Monaco? WR: I’ve been an active member of the Canadian Club de Monaco since my arrival here in 2008. Betty Calder was the one who introduced me to the club and I have enjoyed our annual Canada Day party, July 1st each year, and Canadian Thanksgiving in early October, most especially. Our new President, France Shapiro is absolutely amazing. She has been working very hard, along with the leadership team of the Canadian Club, organising several major events to make this year’s celebration of Canada’s 150th anniversary of Confederation, in Monaco, something we will all enjoy and remember for years to come.
ML: What does being Canadian mean to you? WR: Many things. It means being part of a great social project where health care and social services are considered basic rights. It means a vision of country and community that has room to spare, with a national policy of deliberate kindness and inclusion. It means a way of talking, a softer, gentler accent in English and a colourful and robust version of spoken French.
Canada is known for its dramatic weather, winter storms and freezing temperatures that make just getting to work an extreme sport. I’ve been privileged to enjoy 10 winters now on the Riviera, and believe me, I am thankful for these, but I find myself counting the days until my retirement in July of this year, when I will move back to Quebec, make a home for myself in rural Canada among some of my oldest friends, and pick up life again in my country of adoption, Canada, the “true north strong and free”.
Interprofessional strike June 22, 2017. Photo: Facebook Union des Syndicats de Monaco
The Union of Monaco Trade Unions (USM) has announced a strike on June 22 with groups of protestors leaving from three assembly points and meeting at Place Saint Devote.
Members across a wide range of activities will take part, the Union stated.
“At a time when the authorities are working to improve the image of Monaco to display an attractive showcase in the eyes of potential investors, employees continue to suffer the effects of an ultra-liberal policy initiated since the 1980s,” the Union said.
Monaco recorded an increase of 5.9 percent of GDP per employee between 2014 and 2015, or €108,611 per worker, according to the Union, which commented: “Since employers and the government have remained deaf to the legitimate demands made during the demonstrations on June 16 and December 6, 2016, the Union of Trade Unions of Monaco again calls on all persons to act.”
USM claims that employers in the Principality have differentiated between employees, favouring some over others, “placing workers under the boss’s patronage, and trampling on their dignity”. The organisation also makes claims against working conditions that have “serious consequences for health and family life”. The Union goes as far as to say that there have been breaches of human rights in respect to trade union laws.
As USM’s General Secretary, Christophe Glasser, told Monaco Lifelast June, “Those taking to the streets are not anti-Monaco nor or anti-constitutional. Quite the contrary. It’s a question of dignity and social justice.”
This week’s interprofessional strike will bring together trade union officials, pensioners, and employees of the public and the private sector, with three groups leaving at 2 pm from Fontvieille, Place Saint Charles and the CHPG to gather at Place de Sainte Dévote for a speech. The Union claims there is strong support for the strike across many trades.
As with the 2016 strikes, traffic delays can be expected. For bus service, some CAM staff will be on strike between 1:30 pm and 5 pm, with minimum bus service to the hospital during this time. For a more complete bus schedule for Thursday, see CAM’s website.
Photo; Charly Gallo/ Direction de la Communication
Didier Gamerdinger, Minister of Health and Social Affairs met the French press Tuesday to discuss the main issues and current events at the department he took over on June 1.
The incoming Minister mentioned in particular the importance of dialogue with social partners, a reference to the employers’ organisation, FEDEM, and the two trade union federations, all of whom he met last week.
Mr Gamerdinger said that other priorities include the new Princess Grace Hospital, help for those most in need, a study on the ageing of the population, the digitalisation of the administration, and help for young people with psychological difficulties.
He added that the fight against unregulated employment – otherwise known as ‘black work” – would also be a focus of his department.
The British Consul, Eric Blair, the President of BAM, Vanessa Ilsley and representatives of the British Embassy Paris. Photo: Atelier Mi
The British Association of Monaco (BAM) commemorated the Queen’s Official Birthday and her 65 years on the throne at a reception in the Salon Bellevue at the Café de Paris last week.
“I am delighted to see so many members and new guests from the British community joining the association to celebrate this wonderful occasion,” BAM President Vanessa Ilsley told Monaco Life.
Among those attending were Minister of the Interior Patrice Cellario, and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Gilles Tonelli, the Ambassadors of France and Italy, and the Consul of Cyprus, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou.
Mrs IIsley pointed out that when she took over the presidency, her goal was to emphasise that BAM is first and foremost a charitable organisation which is supported by its members’ subscriptions, individual donations and local businesses, namely its patrons, represented at the June 14 event by Abercrombie & Kent, Banque Safra, and Landmark. “It is thanks to all these contributions, great and small, that we are able to fund our valuable community work.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the loyalty of our members and their guests who continue to attend our events and extend a very special thanks to those members who donate so generously through the year,” Mrs Ilsley commented, acknowledging also the Orchestra du Carabiniers and their Musical Director, Adjutant Olivier Drean, who were playing at the reception.
Official proceedings ended with a toast to the host sovereign and his wife –Prince Albert II and Princess Charlene and the Sovereign family. “We wish them a long and happy life in this beautiful and safe country … Monaco.”
Feature photo on homepage: French Ambassador, Mr Boisson with Eric Merlino and Mme Merlino of the Maison de France, and his wife. Credit Atelier Mike.
The Cranberries show planned for August 8 at the Salle des Étoiles has been cancelled due to illness.
Lead singer Dolores O’Riordan, 45, is still recovering from back problems and her 14 summer concerts across Europe, including France and Monaco, will not take place, her agency confirmed online, adding “We are very sorry for all and any inconvenience and disappointment that this causes our fans, the decision has not been taken lightly but Dolores’ health is paramount.”
The Cranberries added: “It’s with a heavy heart that we had to cancel those concerts. Dolores is getting better. However we cannot stop her from recovering fully. Taking the road to share our music with our audience has been wonderful and we hope to meet you as soon as possible.”
Tickets can be reimbursed only at the point of sale where they were purchased.
ML: You were brought up Catholic and attended Mass until age 18. How did you become involved in the Anglican Church?
ML: Would you say spirituality has in place in Monaco?
