Now the matter has become resolved. Mayor Jim Watson has decided that naming a library and resource center after Charlotte Whitton would cause divisiveness in the Ottawa community at large. It just wasn’t worth it. A commendable stance since it was Jim who put forward the suggestion in the first place. However, both the nomination (which is still before the Federal government who has naming rights for historic figures) and its withdrawal is a cause for some reflection.
It is true that Whitton was an iconic figure in Ottawa. She had a sharp tongue that she used viscously. She was the bane of real estate developers and saw herself as a one person defense against urban sprawl and high density. She was a public penny pincher who neglected roads, infrastructure and other public works. Those are the negatives. On the positive side she single handedly oversaw the building of the Queensway. This involved much controversy. Her penury resulted in insufficient land being expropriated through the downtown core. This has resulted in the gridlock that Ottawa experiences every rush hour. Before long, she became somewhat of a caricature of herself.
However, that said, Charlotte Whitton deserves a place in Ottawa’s history. But what place? While it is true that she oversaw the development of the national capital region to what it was today, she did so largely without grace and with an abundance of ill will bordering on hatred. No one was impartial when it came to Charlotte. Mike Duffy reported that at one campaign meeting she referred to her opponent (her brother in law, Frank Ryan, no less) as stupid and not worthy of speaking to the electorate.
No one can say that Whitton was anti Jewish. Or, if there is a difference, anti-Semitic. Not overtly. Her confrontations with Irving Greenberg of Minto were monumental. But no worse that her confrontations with Bob Campeau. I am certain that Whitton had many Jewish supporters. I believe that she had few Jewish friends though much was made of her charitable associations with some of Ottawa’s Jewish gentry.
It is, then, in retrospect that Whitton is exposed as being opposed to the immigration of Jewish children during the Second World War. This research came out of a book, One is Too Many, chronicling the anti-Semitic almost official policy of the government of Canada. It is in that context that Whitton is said to have made her stance. Many Jews in Ottawa did not know this fact until well after her death. Should it have made a difference?
One the one had Jews world over have made an oath: Never Again. Jewish memories of atrocities are a long one. And so it should be. Particularly at this time of year when Jewish martyrs are remembered along with the anniversary of the establishment of the state of Israel. However, Jewish memories are selective. Harry Truman was an avowed anti-Semite and yet his favour was curried to support the establishment of the state of Israel. But I will wager a bet that there is no monument to the honour of Harry Truman in Yad Vashem, the world class memorial to Jews that died in the holocaust. No library was named in his honour in Israel.
The real question is: should the average Ottawan who is not Jewish care about this. Should such a person be sensitive to the feelings of Jews whose every brush with anti-Semitism is akin to a hockey major penalty. Are we too sensitive? The answer must be a resounding no. If I know that my friend is sensitive to peanuts I do not offer him a peanut butter sandwich. If Canada is anything, Canadians are sensitive to the feelings of others. This is why we try to accommodate others who come from different cultures. This is why our fellow Ottawans should accommodate their Jewish co-citizens in supporting the withdrawal of Charlotte Whitton as a recipient of any public honour. Her acts against Jewish children may have been long ago but we should, collectively, never forget.
Kudos to Mayor Jim Watson
Bernie.
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