Jean Chretien to Receive Order of Canada for His "Legacy"

OTTAWA, February 20, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - It seems playing a key role in legalizing homosexual 'marriage,' over the objections of a majority of Canadians, is one way to get named to the Order of Canada, Canada's most prestigious award.

Governor General Michaëlle Jean will give the nation's highest honor for 'lifetime achievement' to former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, making him a Companion of the Order, on Friday February 22. The notice that was sent out by the Governor General's office, noting the award recipients and their major contributions to Canada, cited Chretien's "legacy" of homosexual unions.

"His government's legacy includes a number of social reform and humanitarian initiatives, such as recognition of same-sex unions and the abolition of landmines," said the citation. Chretien supported same-sex 'marriage.' However, he was replaced as Prime Minister by Paul Martin prior to the issue coming to a final vote in the House of Commons.

That the honor is being given to Chretien, and that his support for homosexuality has been singled out as one of the prime reasons for his receiving the award, should not come as a surprise to Canadians. Governor General Jean, who made her first affront to family values when, during her induction in 2005, refused to swear on the Bible, awarded same-sex 'marriage' pioneer Rev. Brent Hawkes with the Order of Canada last year.

Hawkes' claim to national fame is also his homosexual 'marriage' activism. In 2001 Hawkes illegally "married" a lesbian couple in his Toronto church, and when the Canadian government would not recognize the "marriage" as valid, he took the government to court. Subsequently, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recognized the "marriage" as legal, beginning a process of judicial activism that eventually culminated in the legalization of homosexual "marriage" by Canada's Parliament.

In an affidavit before the Supreme Court of Canada, Hawkes bashed a Vatican document on homosexual unions, and statements by Catholic bishops on the same, as "expressions of hatred that should not be tolerated in our society."

At the time the courts forced various provinces to permit homosexual 'marriage', and even later when Parliament voted to legalize it, polls regularly showed that a majority of Canadians were opposed to the redefinition of marriage. One such Canadian, who was personally affected by homosexual parenting, has spoken before numerous legislators about her experiences, warning of the dangers to children.

Dawn Stefanowicz, author of "Out From Under: The Impact of Homosexual Parenting," told LifeSiteNews.com that Chretien does not deserve the Order of Canada, precisely because of his pushing of homosexual 'marriage' on the nation.

"Regrettably, Chretien will be known as the prime minister who socially deconstructed and redefined the family unit through the recognition of same-sex unions," she said. "Against the better expressed judgment of many Canadians, Chretien chose to pander to some special interest groups in the name of equality. As an adult survivor who grew up with a father who had numerous homosexual liaisons and involvements in the subcultures in North American cities, I know the incredible pain and longsuffering I endured. As well, there are many adult survivors who have contacted me sharing similar concerns and challenges."

Stefanowicz concluded, "Unequivocally, children will always have their best outcomes and opportunities when they are raised in married father-mother-headed families where gender is defined as male and female."

Dawn can be contacted at: dawnstefano@sympatico.ca
Or you can order her book at: http://www.dawnstefanowicz.com
Or call 1-877-421-READ (7323)

To express concerns:

Conservative Leader
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
pm@pm.gc.ca

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, C.C., C.M.M., C.O.M., C.D., Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada

Biography

Michaëlle Jean was born in Port au Prince, Haiti. As a young child in 1968, she and her family left her country and sought refuge in Canada.

She received a Bachelor of Arts in Italian and Hispanic languages and literature, and continued her studies towards a Master of Arts in comparative literature at the University of Montreal. From 1984 to 1986, she taught at the Faculty of Italian Studies at the same university. During the 1980s, she pursued linguistic and literary studies at the University of Perouse, the University of Florence and the Catholic University of Milan, all of which cited her for excellence. She is fluent in five languages: French, English, Italian, Spanish and Creole.

As she pursued her studies, Michaëlle Jean worked for eight years, from 1979 to 1987, with Québec shelters for battered women. She has taken in, supported and accompanied hundreds of women and children in crisis, while actively contributing to the establishment of a network of emergency shelters throughout Québec and elsewhere in Canada. She was also involved in aid organizations for immigrant women and families, and later worked at Employment and Immigration Canada and at the Conseil des Communautés culturelles du Québec.

Madame Jean’s sense of social commitment and her appreciation of national and international realities led her to journalism. For 18 years, she has been a highly regarded journalist and anchor of information programs. She joined Radio-Canada in 1988, working successively as a reporter and host on such news and public affairs programs as Actuel , Montréal ce soir, Virages and Le Point . In 1995, she anchored a number of Réseau de l’Information à Radio-Canada (RDI) programs such as Le Monde ce soir, l’Édition québécoise, Horizons francophones, Les Grands reportages, Le Journal RDI, and RDI à l’écoute. In 1999, she was also asked by the English network, CBC Newsworld, to host The Passionate Eye and Rough Cuts which broadcast the best in Canadian and foreign documentary films.

In 2001, Michaëlle Jean began anchoring the weekend editions of Radio-Canada’s major news broadcast Le Téléjournal. In 2003, she became the anchor of Le Téléjournal’s daily edition Le Midi.

In 2004, she started her own show, Michaëlle, which is broadcast on both French-language public television networks. This program features a series of in-depth interviews with experts, enthusiasts and visionaries.

In the mid-1990s, Michaëlle Jean also participated in a number of documentary films produced by her husband, filmmaker Jean-Daniel Lafond: La manière nègre ou Aimé Césaire chemin faisant, Tropique Nord, Haïti dans tous nos rêves, and L’heure de Cuba. These thought-provoking documentaries were critically acclaimed and earned awards both in Canada and internationally.

Michaëlle Jean has won numerous honours for her professional achievements, including: the Human Rights League of Canada’s 1989 Media Award for her report titled La pasionaria, on the struggle of an immigrant woman in Québec; the Prix Mireille-Lanctôt for her report titled Partir à zéro, dealing with spousal violence; the Prix Anik for best information reporting in Canada for her investigation of the power of money in Haitian society; the inaugural Amnesty International Canada Journalism Award; the Galaxi Award for best information host; the 2001 Gemini Award for best interview in any category; and the Conseil de la Langue Française du Québec’s Prix Raymond-Charette. Michaëlle Jean has also been named to the Ordre des Chevaliers de La Pléiade by the Assemblée internationale des parlementaires de langue française, and has been made a citizen of honour by the City of Montreal and the Ministère de l’Immigration et des relations avec les citoyens of Quebec in recognition of her accomplishments in communications.

Michaëlle Jean is married to Jean-Daniel Lafond. Their daughter, Marie-Éden, is eight years old. Michaëlle Jean’s family also includes Mr. Lafond’s two daughters from a previous marriage and his two grandchildren.

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