THe Racist BARBECUE

When | was growing up in
Toronto in the sixties the city, still
referred to as Hogtown, was predomi-
nantly white. Specifically it was white
Anglo Saxon Protestant. The Orange
Day Parade would still annually take
place and Dad would tell me how
Orange men hated Catholics. Being
Catholic, | wondered why they were
allowed to even have a parade. In
school | would deny being of Slavic
origin because all the other kids would
have names like Smith or Clark | would
just say | was English.

Before class would begin, the Ca-
nadian anthem was played. Then God
Save the Queen was sung. We would
then recite the Lord’s prayer. At first |
couldn't understand why we said, “For
thine is the kingdom the power and
the glory for ever and ever, Amen.”
Being Catholic, we never said that part
in our prayers. Mom would later tell me
that it was the Anglican prayer.

Well Toronto has changed. God
Save the Queen isn’t played in schools
any longer and the Orange Day Pa-
rade, which represented a lot of hate,
is not marched. This in no way means
that prejudice doesn’t exist within the
confines of the city. It does mean that
there is more of a fight on the hands of
the group (WASPS) who once so
blatantly governed with nary a word
against their gross bigoted actions.

So where have the whites gone?
This question, | felt, was easily an-
swered because, simply, they were still

in Toronto but the population had
grown with an influx of immigrants from
all parts of the world so they (the
whites) were not as strong. This,
however, was re-evaluated when |
went to a barbecue at my cousin’s who
lives in Aurora ( a town outside
Toronto).

Now | grew up in Etobicoke which
was always considered the outskirts of
Toronto, otherwise known as the
burbs. | had an aunt who lived outside
Bradford, which is about forty miles
north of Toronto. Whenever we drove
to my aunts there would be forests and
farms as soon as we passed the Finch
Avenue exit along the 400 Highway.
Today one practically has to drive
beyond Canada’s Wonderland (which
is about twenty miles north of the Finch
exit) before seeing forests and farms.
Most of the land has been claimed by
industrial parks, otherwise known as
factory outlets and offices. To the east
of the 400 Highway and | suspect just
to the west of it also (though | haven't
ventured west yet) there are the
hideous housing developments. Huge
monstrous homes on tiny lots. Acres
and acres of these developments exist
with names like Prince George Estates
or Tudor Manor Homes. | said to

myself, “Oh oh!”. This was the whiteys’

new domain—Outer Suburbia. What
was once the Green Belt was now
Whitey Country.

As | drove up to my cousin’s
house, located on a private cul-de-sac

PAGE

5

called Greentree Court, | wondered
where they got the name for such a
place. It must have been with a forty
year plan in mind since each tree was
barely a twig held up by a two by four
plank. There were nine huge houses
on postage stamp lots looming before
me. | felt they were watching me from
each window. There were kids on
skate-boards and bicycies terrorizing
the courtyard. They all stopped dead in
their tracks to check out my car. My
cousin’s son was there with his friends.
They all began to tease him with
sayings like, “You’re cousin drives a
Pontiac?”. “God, what a loser.”.

“Jerry, you could have parked a
block away, you know.”, this eight
year old blood relative of mine blurted.
“| mean a Porsche or even a BMW
but a Pontiac???”. | felt | was living in
some T.V. spinoff of Blade Runner and
all these kids had been programmed
by the media.

My cousin greeted me with a hug.
“No kisses. You’re always living ina
downtown centre. Lord knows what
you’ve picked up.” The once leftist
university student whom all the
younger cousins and siblings envied,
was now,| realized, done all out of
romantic ideas rather than any sub-
stance. She now concerns herself with
best Loblaws specials and how much
her backyard deck cost. Her husband
works two jobs so as to upkeep their
life along the golf course.

As twilight set and the guests

planet of bhe arts winter edition

arrived preparations

were made for the home fireworks.

Oh yes, this was Queen Victoria’s birth-
day. The last remnants of whiteydom
were still quite present. The barbecues
were ignited and the smell of dead pig
filled the air. Music was all set to be
choreographed to the fireworks, by my
cousin’s husband. Out of boredom, |
stood with my only male cousin and his
brother-in-law. Sexist jokes were spew-
ing out of their mouths as fast as the
encased pig meat (called hot dogs) was
going in. They left out only a few slangs
for a women’s genitals. | stood nursing a
drink hoping the fireworks would start.

Then it happened. A car pulled up to
the neighbour's driveway. They were
guests of their’s who were apologetic
about arriving late. The man was me-
dium height, blond, and well built. His
wife and their children were healthy
looking, medium height and black. There
was a halted hush about in the cul-de-
sac. Children blatantly stared while
the adults caught quick glimpses
as though they were looking the
full eclipse of the sun, My cousin
was the first to mention anything
(egads! yes something had to be =
mentioned).

“Oh Ted is a pilot and he’s
always meeting such interest-
ing people. You know, it’s not
like it’s the
boonies out
here.
There

When | was growing up in
Toronto inthe sixties the city, still
referred to as Hogtown, was predomi-
nantly white. Speciicaly it was white
‘Anglo Saxon Protestant. The Orange
Day Parade would still annually take
place and Dad would tell me how
‘Orange men hated Catholics. Being
Catholic, | wondered why they were
allowed to even have a parade. In
schoo! | would deny being of Siavic
origin because al the other kids would
have names like Smith or Clark | would
just say I was English.

Before class would begin, the Ca-
radian anthem was played. Then God
Save the Queen was sung. We would
then recite the Lord's prayer. At first |
couldn’ understand why we said, “For
thine Is the kingdom the power and
the glory for ever and ever, Amen.”
Being Catholic, we never said that part
in our prayers. Mom would later tell me
that itwas the Anglican prayer.

Well Toronto has changed. God
Save the Queen isn't played in schools,
any longer and the Orange Day Pa-
rade, which represented a lot of hate,
isnot marched. This in no way means
that prejudice doesnt exist within the
confines ofthe city. It does mean that
there is more ofa fight on the hands of
the group (WASPS) who once 50
blatantly governed with nary a word
against their gross bigoted actions.

‘So where have the whites gone?
This question, | fet, was easly an-
‘swered because, simply, they were still

Tue Racist BARBECUE

in Toronto but the population had
{grown with an influx of immigrants from
all parts of the world so they (the
whites) were not as strong. This,
however, was re-evaluated when |
went to a barbecue at my cousin's who
lives in Aurora ( a town outside
Toronto).

Now I grew up in Etobicoke which
was always considered the outskirts of
Toronto, otherwise known as the
burbs. | had an aunt who lived outside
Bradford, which is about forty miles
north of Toronto. Whenever we drove
to my aunts there would be forests and
farms as soon as we passed the Finch
‘Avenue exit along the 400 Highway.
Today one practically has to drive
beyond Canada's Wonderland (which
is about twenty miles north of the Finch
exit) before seeing forests and farms.
Most of the land has been claimed by
industrial parks, otherwise known as
factory outlets and offices. To the east
of the 400 Highway and I suspect just
to the west of it also (though | haven't
ventured west yet) there are the
hideous housing developments. Huge
‘monstrous homes on tiny lots. Acres
and acres of these developments exist
with names like Prince George Estates
or Tudor Manor Homes. | said to
myself, “Oh oh!”. This was the whiteys’
‘new domain—Outer Suburbia. What
‘was once the Green Belt was now
Whitey Country.

‘As I drove up to my cousin's
house, located on a private cul-de-sac

PAGE

4

called Greentree Court, | wondered
‘where they got the name for such a
place. It must have been with a forty
year plan in mind since each tree was
barely a twig held up by a two by four
plank. There were nine huge houses
on postage stamp lots looming before
me. I felt they were watching me from.
‘each window. There were kids on
‘skate-boards and bicycles terrorizing
the courtyard. They all stopped dead in
‘their tracks to check out my car. My
cousin's son was there with his friends.
They all began to tease him with,
sayings lie, "You're cousin drives a
Pontiac?”. “God, what a loser.”.

“Jerry, you could have parked a
block away, you know.”, this eight
year old blood relative of mine blurted.
"Imean a Porsche or even a BMW
but a Pontiac??2”. | felt | was living in
‘some T.V. spinoff of Blade Runner and
all hese kids had been programmed
by the media,

My cousin greeted me with a hug.
“No kisses. You're always living in a
downtown centre. Lord knows what
you've picked up.” The once leftist
university student whom all the
younger cousins and siblings envied,
was now,| realized, done all out of
romantic ideas rather than any sub-
stance. She now concerns herself with
best Loblaws specials and how much
her backyard deck cost. Her husband
works two jobs so as to upkeep their
lite along the golf course.

As twilight set and the quests

planet of the arts winter edition

arrived preparations

‘were made for the home fireworks,

‘Oh yes, this was Queen Victoria's birth-
day. The last remnants of whiteydom,
were stil quite present. The barbecues
were ignited and the smell of dead pig
filed the air. Music was all set to be
choreographed to the fireworks, by my
cousin's husband. Out of boredom, |
stood with my only male cousin and his
brother-in-law. Sexist jokes were spew-
ing out of their mouths as fast as the
encased pig meat (called hot dogs) was
‘going in. They left out only a few slangs
for a women's genitals. | stood nursing a
‘drink hoping the fireworks would start

Then it happened. A car pulled up to
the neighbour's driveway. They were
‘quests of their's who were apologetic
about arriving late. The man was me-
dium height, blond, and well built. His
wife and their children were healthy
looking, medium height and black. There
‘was a halted hush about in the cul-de-
ssac. Children blatantly stared while
the adults caught quick glimpses
‘as though they were looking the
{ull eclipse of the sun, My cousin
‘was the first to mention anything
(egads! yes something had to be
mentioned).

“Oh Ted isa pilot and he’s |
always meeting such interest-
ing people. You know, it's not
like it’s the
boonies out