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My portrait of Norman Bethune from 2008 is now being seen around Montreal. The image is being used for promotional material to commemorate the 75th aniversary of Norman Bethunes death. I had been approached for permission to use my image by McGill Universary professor Aziz S. Fall who is also President of the Centre Internationaliste Ryerson Fondation Aubin. Professor Fall also invited me to attend the activities. I really wish I could, I've never been to Montreal. One day I shall visit.

As I reported earlier, my portrait is also being used at this time for promotional materials by Bethune Collage at York University in Toronto as part of their planned activities. It's great to see my portrait appearing in both of Canada's largest cities at this time

The City of Montreal and its partners (Concordia University, the McCord Museum, Centre Internationaliste Ryerson Fondation Aubin the Centre d’histoire de Montréal, and Tourisme Montréal has organized several events around Montreal and Gravenhusrt Ontario where Bethune was born. "In the Footsteps of Norman Bethune" will be held over several days from November 12 - 15.

"Bethune", acrylic and collage on canvas, 36"x 36", 2008

From my CIRFA invitation to participate:

"The present is to officially invite you, on behalf of the Bethune International Steering Committee, to participate in the series of events that will commemorate the 75th anniversary of the death of Dr. Norman Bethune, his entire internationalist endeavor and the launch of the project In the Footsteps of Norman Bethune. The project aims to bring to attention the role played by Norman Bethune and all the Canadians, Spaniards, Chinese and other international volunteers who joined the struggle against fascism in defense of democracy, freedom and international solidarity in Spain and China. Reveered for decades by a billion Chinese, while he was practically forgotten in his own country, Bethune remains today the best known Canadian abroad.

The events programmed for this coming November 12 to 15 are as follows:

~ Wednesday, Nov. 12, 12:00 : Commemorative ceremony and launch of the project with the Mayor of Montreal, Denis Coderre, at Montreal, City Hall featuring a unique Bethune-Mao photo as the centrepiece

~ Wednesday, Nov. 12, 13:30-16:30 : Montreal Bethune itinerary; visit to several historic sites following rendezvous at the park in front of Montreal City Hall, 275 Notre-Dame Street East, Montreal;

~ Thursday, Nov. 13, 8:00-22:00 : Round trip by bus to a commemorative ceremony at Bethune Memorial House in Gravenhurst, Ontario; rendezvous at Place Émilie-Gamelin, corner of Berri Street and Sainte-Catherine Street East, Montreal;

~ Friday, Nov 14, 14:00 : Roundtable on Social medicine and the relevance of internationalist medicine today, with Dr. Amir Khadir, Ignace Adah, James Orbinsky, Andrew Beckett and Dominique Shum -Tim, at the Glen Salon, CUSM McGill University Health Centre, 5100 De Maisonneuve Street West, Montreal;

~ Friday, Nov 14, 18:00 : Political roundtable on Bethune and internationalist solidarity, at the University of Quebec at Montreal (UQAM), Hubert-Aquin Building, 400 Sainte-Catherine Street East, Room A1785, Montreal;

~ Saturday, Nov. 15, 14:00-18:00 : Screening of films on Norman Bethune, including one by the Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, at de Seve Cinema at Concordia University, McConnell Library Building, 1400 De Maisonneuve Street West, Room LB-125, Montreal;

~ Saturday, Nov. 15, 19:00 : Solidarity evening at the Centre Internationaliste Ryerson / Fondation Aubin, 160 Saint-Viateur Street East, Suite 707, Montreal.

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